A practice reflection
We arrived early on the first day in Ubud, Bali, before the formal Open Space introductions started and before other people arrived. This provided a moment for Jo and myself to acknowledge time and place and to take a moment to slow down.
It also helped us to consider some topics people wanted to discuss over the next few days, what we think we could contribute and the possibilities of learning and reflecting together ahead with a group.
We also took a moment to look at the setup of the room, ask Mike, who organised the event, if he needed any help and then slowly made our way to the balcony to enjoy the view, enjoy the cool breeze and to gain some perspective.
Conversations to kick off learning
So a conversation begins with one person then another and then another.
As the conversations continue you begin to notice a consistent pattern. It resembles a glazed look in the other person’s eyes indicating that the person you are speaking to and with may not be fully present with you and not completely listening to what is being said.
You take a moment to gently ask the person if they are ok to which they respond with a small but significant sigh, a small shake of the head and glance down at their feet as they slowly look up to you again and say:
“I just have so much on at the moment”
Observation — People are busy
The acceptance of the busy work life as an equal to the meaningful life and as the predominant tune as the spaces in between work and life make it increasingly difficult for people to have the time to think and reflect on the past to the now and how the past and the now can be used to probe for a look forward.
Conversations in person feel fleeting as people move between attention on work, their family, their smartphone and the urgency of something over there and not here as their interest level in you and your story fades by comparison.
The time and spaces needed to look forward to chart where a person may be headed becomes increasingly difficult and for some people impossible.
Me + We = Meaning Canvas
Upon entering the Open Space in Ubud, Bali, one of the first exercises was to face the person across from you in the circle and to take the time to know a little more about the other person.
This is what we describe in the “Make Meaningful Work” framework as the Me and the We in reference to the individual and shared team meaning as written into a “Meaning Canvas”.
The Me being an understanding of oneself and the We being the understanding of other. By understanding Me and We we also acknowledge the co-creation of probes, exercises and interactions in the learning about yourself and other.
The foci here being learning and what practices we wish to avoid and ones we wish to foster in reference to a learning portfolio.
Active Listening
Taking the time to actively listen to another person’s story is important. To get a slice of their life, where they grew up, what school they attended, what music they like, who their friends are, their interests, common interests and to find intersections of topics that can be further illustrated together.
To acknowledge the other person is in front of you and to also acknowledge where you are.
Its a practice in trying to shed some of the other busy stuff and to recognise person, time and place. To recognise where you are, the person sitting in front of you, elements of their story, elements of your story and the other people in the room.
A Rocket ship
Its ironic that we finished with a drawing of a rocket ship as it reminded us of the importance of a launch pad or perhaps the foundation that helps the rocket ship launch into outer space.
The elements that ensure a strong foundation and in consideration of what can be made on it for the Me and the We.
The fuel we would need to lift us all off the ground and the people, intelligence and planning that’s required to get people to a place and explore beyond the boundaries of planet earth and to continue to gain perspective to challenges our own inherent biases and assumptions.
If the drawing was indeed a schematic to consider the elements of the rocket ship then it certainly lends a few curious questions:
- Who helps design and build the ship?
- What fuels the ship?
- Where is the ship currently docked and why?
- Who boards the ship and why?
- What is the first mission and what are it’s objectives?
Drafting joint mission
We hope:
- This is the first of many gatherings for this group of explorers
- That our conversations explore the merits of a mature product management practice
- We build the rocket ship robust abd sustainable enough to consider the possibilities of an enlightened now and future.
- We look for the intersections where the differences can be discussed, debated and acknowledged as a way to feed back to a community of wisdom to help guide us forward.
- We continue practicing practices in reference to frameworks like “Make Meaningful Work” but certainly not only this framework.
Thanks & congratulations
A special thanks to Michael Ong and Jo Wong for your continued friendship on this journey and hope it continues to take us to interesting and fun places.
Congratulations to all who opened their minds and hearts in the spirit of continuous learning together.
